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WE are three brethren out of Spain, Come to court your daughter Jane. My daughter Jane she is too young, And has not learn'd her mother-tongue.
Be she young, or be she old,
Turn back, turn back, thou scornful knight ;
Turn back, turn back, thou scornful knight, |
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Here comes your daughter safe and sound, Every pocket with a thousand pound ; Every finger with a gay gold ring ; Please to take your daughter in.
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SIEVE my lady's oatmeal, Grind my lady's flour, Put it in a chesnut, Let it stand an hour ; One may rush, two may rush, Come, my girls, walk under the bush.
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I WON'T be my father's Jack, I won't be my mother's Gill, I will be the fiddler's wife, And have music when I will. T'other little tune, T'other little tune, Pr'ythee, love, play me T'other little tune.
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/ p.134 /
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BABY
and I Were baked in a pie, The gravy was wonderful hot : We had nothing to pay To the baker that day, And so we crept out of the pot.
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THERE were two blackbirds, Sitting on a hill, The one nam'd Jack, The other nam'd Jill ; Fly away Jack ! Fly away Jill ! Come again Jack ! Come again Jill !
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TOM BROWN'S two little Indian boys, One ran away, The other wouldn't stay,— Tom Brown's two little Indian boys.
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/ p.135 /
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GAY go up and gay go down, To ring the bells of London town.
Bull's eyes and targets,
Brickbats and tiles,
Halfpence and farthings,
Oranges and lemons,
Pancakes and fritters,
Two sticks and an apple,
Old Father Baldpate,
You owe me ten shillings, |
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Pokers and tongs, Say the bells at St. John's.
Kettles and pans,
When will you pay me?
When I grow rich,
Pray when will that be?
I am sure I don't know,
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| [One child holds a wand to the face of another, repeating these lines, and making grimaces, to cause the latter to laugh, and so to the others; those who laugh paying a forfeit.] |
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BUFF says Buff to all his men, And I say Buff to you again ; Buff neither laughs nor smiles, But carries his face With a very good grace, And passes the stick to the very next place !
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/ p.137 /
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DANCE, Thumbkin, dance, (Keep the thumb in motion.)
Dance, ye merrymen, every one : (All the fingers in motion.)
For Thumbkin, he can dance alone, (The thumb only moving.)
Thumbkin, he can dance alone.(Ditto.)
Dance, Foreman, dance,(The first finger moving.)
Dance, ye merrymen, every one; (The whole moving.)
But Foreman, he can dance alone,Foreman, he can dance alone. |
| [And so on with the others—naming the 2d finger Middleman— the 3d finger Ringman— and the 4th finger Littleman. Littleman cannot dance alone.] |
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QUEEN Anne, queen Anne, you sit in the sun, As fair as a lily, as white as a wand. I send you three letters, and pray read one, You must read one, if you can't read all, So pray, Miss or Master, throw up the ball.
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/ p.138 /
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HERE
we come a piping, First in spring, and then in May ; The queen she sits upon the sand, Fair as a lily, white as a wand ; King John has sent you letters three, And begs you'll read them unto me ; We can't read one without them all, So pray, Miss Bridget, deliver the ball !
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RIDE
a cock-horse to Banbury-cross, To see what Tommy can buy ; A penny white loaf, a penny white cake, And a twopenny apple-pie.
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RIDE
a cock-horse to Banbury-cross, To buy little Johnny a galloping-horse : It trots behind, and it ambles before, And Johnny shall ride till he can ride no more.
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/ p.139 /
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RIDE a cock-horse to Coventry-cross ; To see what Emma can buy ; A penny white cake I'll buy for her sake, And a twopenny tart or a pie.
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RIDE a cock-horse to Banbury-cross, To see an old lady upon a white horse, Rings on her fingers, and bells on her toes, And so she makes music wherever she goes.
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TO market ride the gentlemen, So do we, so do we ; Then comes the country clown, Hobbledy gee, Hobbledy gee !
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/ p.140 /
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THIS is the key of the kingdom. In that kingdom there is a city. In that city there is a town. In that town there is a street. In that street there is a lane. In that lane there is a yard. In that yard there is a house. In that house there is a room. In that room there is a bed. On that bed there is a basket. In that basket there are some flowers. Flowers in the basket, basket in the bed, bed in the room, &c. &c.
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1.
LET us go to the wood, says this pig ; 2. What to do there ? says that pig ; 3. To look for my mother, says this pig ; 4. What to do with her ? says that pig ; 5. Kiss her to death, says this pig.
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/ p.141 /
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IS John Smith within ? Yes, that he is ; Can he set a shoe ? Ay, marry, two, Here a nail, there a nail, Tick, tack, too.
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EGGS,
butter, cheese, bread, Stick, stock, stone, dead ! Stick him up, stick him down, Stick him in the old man's crown !
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HERE
comes a poor woman from baby-land, With three small children in her hand : One can brew, the other can bake, The other can make a pretty round cake.
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/ p.142 /
| [A string of children, hand in hand, stand in a row. A child (A) stands in front of them, as leader; two other children (B and C) form an arch, each holding both the hands of the other.] |
| A. |
DRAW a pail of water, For my lady's daughter ; My father's a king, and my mother's a queen, My two little sisters are dress'd in green, Stamping grass and parsley, Marigold leaves and daisies. |
| B. |
One rush, two rush, Pray thee, fine lady, come under my bush. |
| [A passes by under the arch, followed by the whole string of children, the last of whom is taken captive by B and C. The verses are repeated, until all are taken.] |
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TWELVE huntsmen with horns and hounds, Hunting over other men's grounds ; Eleven ships sailing o'er the main, Some bound for France and some for Spain ; I wish them all safe home again : Ten comets in the sky, Some low and some high ; |
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Nine peacocks in the air, I wonder how they all came there. I do not know and I do not care ; Eight joiners in joiner's hall, Working with the tools and all ; Seven lobsters in a dish, As fresh as any heart could wish ; Six beetles against the wall, Close by an old woman's apple-stall ; Five puppies by our bitch Ball, Who daily for their breakfast call ; Four horses stuck in a bog, Three monkeys tied to a clog ; Two pudding-ends would choke a dog, With a gaping, wide-mouthed, waddling frog.
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GIRLS
and boys, come out to play, The moon doth shine as bright as day ; Leave your supper, and leave your sleep, And come with your play-fellows into the street. Come with a whoop, come with a call, Come with a good will or not at all. Up the ladder and down the wall, A halfpenny roll will serve us all. You find milk, and I'll find flour, And we'll have a pudding in half an hour.
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/ p.144 /
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(No above poem given) |
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LAZY dukes, that sit on their neuks, And winna come out to play ; Leave your supper, leave your sleep, Come out and play at hide-and-seek. I've a cherry, I've a chess, I've a bonny blue glass ; I've a dog among the corn, Blow, Willie, Buckhorn. Three score of Highland kye, One booly-backed, One blind of an eye, An' a' the rest hawkit. Laddie wi' the shelly-coat Help me owre the ferry-boat ; The ferry-boat is owre dear, Ten pounds every year. The fiddler's in the Canongate, The piper's in the Abbey, Huzza! cocks and hens, Flee awa' to your cavey.
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THERE were three jovial Welshmen, As I have heard them say, And they would go a-hunting Upon St. David's day.
All the day they hunted,
One said it was a ship,
And all the night they hunted,
One said it was the moon,
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/ p.146 /
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1.
This pig went to market ; 2. This pig staid at home ; 3. This pig had a bit of meat ; 4. And this pig had none ; 5. This pig said, Wee, wee, wee ! I can't find my way home.
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My nose is green, Your's is blue ; Sister has got a red one, What's that to you ?
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CUCKOO, cherry tree, Catch a bird, and give it to me ; Let the tree be high or low, Let it hail, rain, or snow.
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/ p.147 /
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I CAN
make diet bread, Thick and thin ; I can make diet bread, Fit for the king.
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GOOD horses, bad horses, What is the time of day ? Three o'clock, four o'clock, Now fare you away.
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BELL horses, bell horses, What time o'day ? One o'clock, two o'clock, Time to away.
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/ p.148 /
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FATHER, O father, I'm come to confess Well, my daughter, well ! Last night I call'd the cat a beast. Shocking, my daughter, shocking ! What penance ? my father, what penance ? What penance ! my daughter, what penance ! What penance shall I do ? Kiss me.
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GOOD
morning, father Francis. Good morning, Mrs. Sheckleton. What has brought you abroad so early, Mrs. Sheckleton ? I have come to confess a great sin, father Francis. What's it, Mrs. Sheckleton ? Your cat stole a pound of my butter, father Francis ! O, no sin at all, Mrs. Sheckleton. But I kill'd your cat for it, father Francis. O, a very great sin indeed, Mrs. Sheckleton, you must do penance. What penance, father Francis ? |
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Kiss me three times, Oh! but I can't ! Oh! but you must ! Oh! but I can't, &c. ad lib. Well, what must be must, So kiss, kiss, kiss, and away.
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BAT, bat, (clap hands,) Come under my hat, And I'll give you a slice of bacon ; And when I bake, I'll give you a cake, If I am not mistaken.
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| [This is acted by two or more girls, who walk or dance up and down, turning, when they say, "turn, cheeses, turn." The "green cheeses," as I am informed, are made with sage and potato-tops. Two girls are said to be "cheese and cheese."] |
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GREEN cheese, yellow laces, Up and down the market-places, Turn, cheeses, turn !
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/ p.150 /
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A.
WHO is going round my sheepfold ? B. Only poor old Jacky Lingo. A. Don't steal any of my black sheep. B. No, no more I will, only by one, Up, says Jacky Lingo. (Strikes one.) |
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[The child struck leaves the ring, and takes hold of B behind ; B in the same manner takes the other children, one by one, gradually increasing his tail on each repetition of the verses, until he has got the whole. A then tries to get them back ; B runs away with them ; they try to shelter themselves behind B ; A drags them off, one by one, setting them against a wall, until he has recovered all. A regular tearing game, as children say.]
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| [Children stand round, and are counted one by one, by means of this rhyme, which I have already given in a different form at p. 89. The child upon whom the last number falls is out, for "Hide or Seek," or any other game where a victim is required. A cock and bull story of this kind is related of the historian Josephus.] |
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HICKORY (1), Dickory (2), Dock (3), The mouse ran up the clock (4), The clock struck one (5), The mouse was gone (6); O (7), U (8), T (9), spells OUT !
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/ p.151 /
| [A number of boys and girls stand round one in the middle, who repeats the following lines, counting the children until one is counted out by the end of the verses.] |
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RING me (1), ring me (2), ring me rary (3), As I go round (4), ring by ring (5), A virgin (6) goes a maying (7), Here's a flower (8), and there's a flower (9), Growing in my lady's garden (10) ; If you set your foot awry (11), Gentle John will make you cry (12), If you set your foot amiss (13), Gentle John (14) will give you a kiss. |
| [The child upon whom (14) falls is then taken out and forced to select one of the opposite sex. The middle child then proceeds.] |
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This [lady or gentleman] is none of ours, Has put [him or her] self in [the selected child's] power, So clap all hands, and ring all bells, and make the wedding o'er. [All clap hands.]
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[If the child taken by lot joins in the clapping, the selected child is rejected, and, I think, takes the middle place. Otherwise, I think, there is a salute.]
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/ p.152 /
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AS I go round ring by ring, A maiden goes a maying, And here's a flower and there's a flower, As red as any daisy. If you set your foot awry, Gentle John will make you cry ; If you set your foot amiss, Gentle John will give you a good kiss.
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SEE-SAW sacradown ; Which is the way to London town ? One foot up, and the other down, And that is the way to London town.
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SEE saw, Jack in a hedge, Which is the way to London bridge ? One foot up, the other foot down, That is the way to London town.
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/ p.153 /
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HIGHTY cock O ! To London we go, To York we ride ; And Edward has pussy-cat tied to his side ; He shall have little dog tied to the other, And then he goes trid trod to see his grandmother.
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SEE-SAW, jack a daw, What is a craw to do wi' her ; She has not a stocking to put on her, And the craw has not one for to gi' her.
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ONE old Oxford ox opening oysters ; Two tee totums totally tired of trying to trot to Tadberry ; Three tall tigers tippling ten-penny tea ; Four fat friars fanning fainting flies ; Five frippy Frenchmen foolishly fishing for flies ; Six sportsmen shooting snipes ! Seven Severn salmons swallowing shrimps ; |
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Eight Englishmen eagerly examining Europe ; Nine nimble noblemen nibbling nonpareils ; Ten tinkers tinkling upon ten tin tinder-boxes with ten tenpenny tacks ; Eleven elephants elegantly equipt ; Twelve typographical topographers typically translating types.
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| B. |
TRIP trap over the grass ; If you please will you let one of your [eldest] daughters come, Come and dance with me? I will give you pots and pans, I will give you brass, I will give you anything for a pretty lass. |
| A. | says "No." |
| B. |
I will give you gold and silver, I will give you pearl, I will give you anything for a pretty girl. |
| A. | Take one, take one, the fairest you may see. |
| B. |
The fairest one that I can see Is pretty Nancy, come to me. |
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You shall have a duck, my dear, And you shall have a drake, And you shall have a young man apprentice for your sake. |
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The verses of the Three Knights of Spain are played in nearly the same way. |
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THE
first day of Christmas My mother sent to me, A partridge in a pear-tree. The second day of Christmas, My mother sent to me, Two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear-tree. The third, &c. Three French hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge, &c. The fourth, &c. Four canary birds, three French hens, two turtle, &c. The fifth, &c. Five gold rings, &c. The sixth, &c. Six geese a laying, &c. The sixth, &c. Six geese a laying, &c. The seventh, &c. Seven swans a swimming, &c. |
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The eighth, &c. Eight ladies dancing, &c. The ninth, &c. Nine lords a leaping, &c. The tenth, &c. Ten ships a sailing, &c. The eleventh, &c. Eleven ladies spinning, &c. The twelfth, &c. Twelve bells ringing, &c. |
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[Each child in succession repeats the gifts of the day, and forfeits for each mistake. This accumulative process is a favourite with children; in early writers, such as Homer, the repetition of messages, &c. pleases on the same principle.]
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